MICHAEL HAMILTON
POSTAL HISTORY
POSTMARKS
STAMPS
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All world BANK TRANSFERS by WISE to Michael David Cameron Hamilton SORT CODE 23-08-01 Account 58021507. No postal charges
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STANN CREEK RAILWAY, British Honduras postmark/cancel
(TDC-3, D1) in black dated JUL 6 1916 on strip of three KGV 1d (SG.111).
£125


MASKALL BANK, British Honduras postmark on cover to Republic of Honduras
1929 opened-out reg. cover to La Ceiba, Republic Honduras from Peter Melnikov, Northern River with KGV 10c pmk'd at Belize 5 OC 29, wide display of transit cancels with handstruck mauve REBUT and AUSENTE finishing return journey with MASKALL BANK temporary rubber datestamp dated MAR 19 1930 (TDC-17, D2). A rare commercial cover.
£625

MASKALL BANK, British Honduras postmark/cancel
1929 cover to Scotland with strip of six KGV 1c tied MASKALL BANK temporary rubber datestamps dated FEB 6 1929 (TDC-17, D2), right stamp with corner fault.
£525


ARROYO, Porto Rico carried "loose" to ST. THOMAS postal history (Ex Don Gaspar Roca)
1874 entire, written at Arroyo on July 11th 1874 has the correct 4d rate adhesive for mail to the British Postal Agency at St. Thomas, but was carried as a ‘loose’ letter (outside the mailbag) and was pmk’d ‘C51’ on arrival, no datestamp was applied probably due the letter originating elsewhere. The letter was then carried from St. Thomas to New York by the U.S. and Brazil Mail Steamship Company, the only line serving New York and Brazil during this period. The line was viewed by the British Government as an intruder on the British monopoly over mail service to and from Brazil, and was consequently driven out of business by heavy British government subsidies to the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company. Ex Don Gaspar ROCA (2006).
Entires from the British Postal Agency at Arroyo, opened 24th October 1872, are seldom encountered with the GB adhesives pmk’d ‘F83’. The few surviving covers are divided into two groups, those initially cancelled by round top ‘3’ in the ‘F83’ and those with a replacement flat top ‘3’ sent out 31st August 1876 due a fire.
£825


"BAR" (BARROUALLIE) and "K" (KINGSTOWN) combination, ST. VINCENT postal history
1876 cover front to James Crook, Sailor on Board the Satellite, Kings Town, St. Vincent with QV 1d black cancelled by black ink smudge showing a unique combination light strikes red ink "BAR" and "K" each dated JU 22 76 and additionally marked "Unclaimed" in pencil. Internally addressed mail from this period extremely rare.
The additional scan, from my records, show this cover front to have had certificate number 60,509 (subsequently detached) and previous auction estimate of £1200 with £1800 realisation.
£850

The "GALLE PENNY" Surcharge on NEW SOUTH WALES mail routed through Melbourne, VICTORIA
1874 cover marked "via Galle" to Dublin, Ireland with QV 1d, 6d pmk'd Sydney MY 16 74 duplex, no backstamps, part flap missing. Ex Trevor DAVIS (2002), "Emerald" (2003), CHARTELL (2018).
When the new contracts came into force in 1874 New South Wales refused to contribute to the P & O service because Melbourne, Victoria was made the mail terminus, and because NSW favoured the route via San Francisco. To use the route via Melbourne and Pt de Galle NSW had to pay a fee to Victoria based on the amount of letters sent by that route. In order to defray that expense, and also to discourage NSW writers from using the route, a 1d surcharge was added to the basic rate (6d via Southampton, and 9d via Brindisi) from 10 FEB 1874 to 27 MAY 1875. This surcharge is commonly called the "Galle Penny".
£300


MAJOR ERROR "Revenue" OVERPRINT OMITTED with Crown CA REVERSED watermark, St. Vincent stamps:
1883 THREE PENCE on QV 1d lilac Crown CA REVERSED wmk with "Revenue" OVERPRINT OMITTED (PML.10), fresh very lightly mounted mint.
PML records this error on Page 147 of the handbook. The later 1897 issues of THREE PENCE on QV 1d mauve and red-mauve (SG.63, 63a) have never been recorded with Crown CA REVERSED wmk.
£1200

ST. VINCENT stamps:
1882 QV 5/- rose-red ovp'd "REVENUE" (PML.6), superb full gum with light hinge remains.
£1200

The SG uncatalogued 1866 QV 1/- in bluish slate (SG.8 variety), ST. VINCENT stamps:
A very fine exceedingly rare fresh mounted mint example of this unlisted stamp with printer's guide-line lower right corner, together with a fine used example with crisp horiz. brown "A10" (PML.3), plus a mint pair of the QV 1/- indigo (SG.13) for comparison.
The QV 1/- indigo (SG.13) was invoiced FE 27 1869 and the known covers spanning period AP 24 69 to OC 10 70 all fall within the use of the VERTICAL "A10" used period SP 25 68 to JU 10 72. Use of the horizontal "A10" on 1/- indigo is therefore an impossible contemporary combination. The St. Vincent PML handbook Page 34 acknowledges that the August 1866 QV 1/- Perforation B 11-13 exist in both the listed slate-grey (SG.8, Cat.£2500 mint) and also in a "bluish-shade" and initially surmised that at least two sheets perforated B slate-grey were mixed among the 500 plus sheets of the consignment. BWISC member Dr. Bruce Aitken has suggested that as this stamp was printed alongside the QV 4d deep blue (SG.6) the printers may have realised they were a few sheets short and made a special printing that came out a bit bluish in order to fill the order. Brown ink was used in the last 3 months of 1867, and used examples of this bluish slate variety were offered in the Jaffe collection.
£3500





CONFEDERATE sloop-of war transfers YANKEE P.O.W.s to DANISH brig, St. Croix postal history
1863 letter written April 13 by semi-literate Dudley K. Dow to his "mothere" Mrs Thomas Dow, Deer Isle, Maine, USA stating that he had been taken by the Felardy (his hearing/understanding for the Florida) and "Cent in to Cante Croix", his postscript in ink confirms that his stay on the island has been dull "the times hire is dool" but mentions "we shell leave here to day For home", posted in small envelope, slightly trimmed at left, with handstruck SHIP and "5" (due) in black and landed with red BOSTON/MY 6/MASS d/ring. On March 12th 1863 the Danish brig “Christian” took into St. Croix prisoners recently transferred from the Confederate States Steamer (C.S.S.) “Florida”. The “Florida” was a sloop-of-war serving as a highly successful commerce raider in the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War. She was built in Liverpool and departed England 22 March 1862, and after a collision with a United States Army Transport troop ferry sank on 28 November 1864. The Florida captured 37 prizes during her short impressive career. Two books cover this event: “The Life and Services of John Newland Maffitt” (captain of the C.S.S. Florida). On Page 283 of the journal is mention of capturing the bark M. J. Colcord from New York bound Cape Town on 30 March 1863, and their transfer to the Danish brig Christian some 37 hours later on 1 April 1863. “The High Seas Confederate” book, Page 83, confirms that Maffitt captured “a propaganda” ship, the M.J. Colcord on 30 March 1863, transferring provisions from the prize, that the master of a Danish brig agreed to take all the remaining prisoners, and that Maffitt burned the M.J. Colcord.
£6500

Vertical "A05", Bahamas postmark (Ex Hoey)
(K2, unlisted Proud handbook) on QV 1d carmine-rose (SG.48), extremely rare. Ex HOEY.
The only other copy seen being on QV 2½d (SG.52) overstruck Nassau C/JA 11 99 cds.
£625



MAIL TO CRIMEAN WAR GENERAL WHO INVENTED A HEATED CANNONBALL AS A BED-WARMER, Canada postal history
1863 cover to General Higginson, 9 Wilton Crescent, London with QV 12½c tied Montreal duplex dated AP 17 63.
Grenadier Guards General Sir George Wentworth Alexander Higginson was born in Wilton Crescent Belgravia and during the Crimean War improvised a bed-warmer for the freezing nights by heating up a cannonball in the campfire.
£225







THE UNIQUE B.W.I. "DOUBLE COUNTRY" JAMAICA and BAHAMAS SAILOR'S CONCESSIONARY RATE ENTIRE
1835 entire "From Alexander Spain on board His Majestys Brig Wasp" to his sister Charlotte Spain in Southampton countersigned on face by J.N. Syke, Lt. Acting Commanding Officer with "Paid 1" in horizontal oval and matching red ink LIVERPOOL AP 14 1835 arrival backstamp. Written at Port Royal, Jamaica 12th February, travelled with him to Belize, with cross-written finish at Nassau, Bahamas 12th March with "since writing the first part we have been with troops to Honduras in New Spain and thence to this place on the same errand". Opening tear into address panel hardly detracts, some small internal splits but clean with delightful content including mention of fond memories of picking buttercups and daisies on their way to school.
No privilege rate countersigned pre-stamp Sailor's letters are currently recorded from Jamaica (which is quite extraordinary for such a large island) or the Bahamas, and the only two recorded entires as such for the B.W.I. group, are from Antigua (HMS Pique MY 26 1845) with rate paid by attached sewn 1d coin, and 1d paid from Alexander to his sister Charlotte Spain on the Wasp while again at Belize 30 June landed Dartmouth 29 August 1835. The "Wasp" was built during 1811-12 and at this time was on duty on the North America and West Indies station with 85 officers and men, 24 boys, 20 marines. Alexander Spain was a first class boy waiting to be rated. He mentions homecoming in about 20 months - the Wasp arrived Portsmouth 15 April 1837 having left Jamaica 11 February but during a gale on 4 April she lost her foremast and straps plus her bowsprit during a mid-Atlantic collision with the Elizabeth due poor visibility.
£2800

THIS COVER STOLEN FROM MY STAND AT THE BANGKOK INTERNATIONAL 27/11/2023 - DO NOT ORDER
PONDICHERRY, FRENCH INDIAN SETTLEMENTS to MAURITIUS 1867 REYNAUD SOUPRAYA & Co, PONDICHERY sender cachet entire with strip of four QV 2a orange pmk'd PONDICHERRY "111" duplex dated FE 11 67 to Piper Adam & Co, Mauritius backstamped Madras transit and 2/MR 2 67 arrival, address panel with handstruck "6d TO PAY" in black. Exhibition item.
£1250







HERO of the H.M.S. "BIRKENHEAD" SHIPWRECK DISASTER, Sierra Leone postal history
1852 letter from Lt-Colonel Alexander Seton written at Sierra Leone 29th January posted in GB QV 1d pink PSE to Edinburgh with MR 15 and MR 15 transit and arrival backstamps. This is the only letter he wrote from Sierra Leone and the penultimate letter before the tragic disaster in Simon's Bay in the early hours of 26th February 1852 which took about 445 lives.
A 4 page account of the disaster accompanies as prepared for the December 2018 British West Indies Study Circle journal.
£1200

GREAT BRITAIN and ANTIGUA "both ways" postal history
1900 cover with GB QV 1d lilac pmk'd Chipping Norton AP 4 00 to Miss Bowen, The Point, St. Johns, Antigua with MY 4 00 (wider fleuron at base) backstamp, returned with Leeward Islands QV 1d pmk'd Antigua MY 9 00 (smaller fleuron at base), backstamped Bristol and Chipping Norton MY 25 00 cds, flap roughly opened.
£275

The rare PRIVATE SHIP LETTER RATE to England, Bermuda postal history
1883 private ship letter rate cover (opened at top, reduced at left) with QV 4d orange-red (SG.20) tied black K3 "2" ST. GEORGES A/DE 1 83 duplex to St. John Wood, London, landed with red LIVERPOOL/A/DE 24 83/SHIP cds clear of address.
Only three Bermuda QV adhesive covers are currently known landed by LIVERPOOL SHIP cds. All from St. Georges, the other two arriving Liverpool A/JA 29 84 (carried by "Nubian"). Ludington (lot 752) mentions that on NO 30 1883 H.M.S. Northampton was driven onto Stagg Rock in violet weather.
£350

The "1d GALLE SURCHARGE", New South Wales postal history
1874 cover "Ellora via Galle and Brindisi" to Lower Norwood, Surrey, England with NINEPENCE on QV 10d, QV 1d pmk'd Sydney D/MY 15 74, reverse London JY 10 74 arrival. Edge tear at top, soiling.
When the new P&O contracts came into force in 1874 NSW refused to contribute to the P&O service because Melbourne was made the mail terminus, and because NSW favoured the route via San Francisco. To use the route via Melbourne and Pt de Galle NSW had to pay a fee to Victoria based on the number of letters sent by that route. In order to defray that expense, and also to discourage NSW writers from using the route, a 1d surcharge was added to the 9d rate via Brindisi from February 10th 1874 to May 27th 1875.
£325

13 used Kingston, TASMANIA postal history (Ex TINSLEY, BOMBIERI, BLAKE, CHARTWELL)
1864 drop letter mailed within Kingston with Chalon 1d brick-red imperforate superbly tied "13" addressed Mr. Dixon, Browns River with postmaster's manuscript "Kingston 11-1-64" alongside, no reverse markings. Ex TINSLEY, BOMBIERI, BLAKE, CHARTWELL.
The settlement known as Browns River had its name changed to Kingston by the Governor of Tasmania in 1851, so the postmaster followed this edict which was not acknowledged until a Government Gazette in 1881. It was then changed to Kingston Beach in 1900.
£825

SHORT DURATION CHALON 2d with INTRODUCTION OF SIDEFACE NEW RATE, TASMANIA postal history
1870 FIRST DAY OF ISSUE OF SIDEFACE with new rate paid by Chalon 2d yellow-green pmk'd Hobart Town NO 1 70 to The Hon. Joseph Archer, Panshanger, Longford. Ex CHARTWELL collection. APS (1994) Certificate.
This adhesive had short duration, compounded by survival, adding to rarity.
£1250
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